Gaming Game Controversy

[Semjaza]

[quote name='The Vampire: Ed][CENTER][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=Red]Also, making GTA San Andreas an Adult Only game is pointless as it's only a one year difference in age requirement. I mean at that rate Rockstar should just make the sex mini-game accessible now that it's an AO game, I mean no point in keeping it locked away now. I guaran-damn-tee that had GTA San Andreas been an AO game to begin with we'd still be hearing these complaints from these idiots.[/COLOR] [/FONT'][/CENTER][/quote]

If people aren't understanding the concept that none of these stores would sell this game as an AO title to begin with, I don't know how else I can explain it. Either way, it's only rated AO (if places will even carry it as AO, Best Buy pulled it for example) until Rockstar removes that code and sends out new versions. It's not like AO games sit on the shelf next to M games at Walmart. Has anyone ever seen an AO game at the store? There's a reason for it.

There's some politician named Jack Thompson that's going after Take 2's next game, Bully. I guess he's annoyed by the darkness of it and the idea that it somehow glorifies schoolyard violence in an "age after Columbine". Somehow it shows kids how to act just like those two.

Again, the only logical complaint he has is that kids have had no problem pre-ordering this title. Lately I kind of just wish they'd make carding a requirement so these guys would leave the actual developers alone. In this case I agree with Kamuro's idea here. Why go after the company? The stores are still ordering it and selling it. It would make more sense to have the ESRB ratings become a requirement rather than a suggestion. It's either that or have these idiots attempt to block every violent game in existance. Many of us are old enough to make our own decisions as well as buy AO and M rated games within its age contraints.

[satan665]

Basically the "sex" in GTA served to bring to attention the problems inherent with the ESRB.

It makes sense that they should pull the code from the game, whether or not I actually think it should be AO. Thats getting done, but is separate from the issue of how effective the ESRB is.

I think that the news channels have ran with the story a little bit, and brought out the old debate of whether or not games influence kids badly. Its just as stupid as it was when they put an explicit lyrics tag on one of Frank Zappa's albums that was all instrumental. Overall I agree that this current attempt at games legislation (or whatever) is OK. Joe Lieberman and Tipper Gore are the tool politicians you have to worry about when it comes to censorship moreso than this lot headed by Clinton.

[The Vampire: Ed]

[CENTER][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=Red]Here is a good read on this very subject. It proves the point that video games are not to blame, and in turn prove people to be stupid for blaming video games for violence of any kind. I suggest everyone read it.

[URL=http://gr.bolt.com/articles/violence/violence.htm]The truth about violence and video games![/URL] [/COLOR] [/FONT][/CENTER]

[Zeekan]

I went down to my local games outlet today to buy GTA SanAndreas, and they wouldn't let me get this game because I'm only 13, yet, only last year, I was able to buy both GTA3 and Vice City no sweat, at 12!

The same outlet that let me buy the game is now restricting me buying the latest one because of some "Hot Coffee" thingy. I don't know and don't care what Hot Coffee is but coudl that possibly be as bad as killing thousands of people?

Beside the point though, my point is I reckon they should bring in a maturity test or something other than age to determine a gamers' ability to handle mature games. I have not been enticed to go on a shooting spree just because I shot up some mall as Tommy Vercetti, i haven't been ispired to act like a maniac and take off with somebody's Ferrari.

And yet, the game is only sold to those over 18, and it is not a very good measure of maturity. The two dudes who shot up Columbine were over 18. My point being there are some idiots in all age brackets the same as there are mature people in all age brackets as well.

The age rating is flawed and I wouldn't mind sitting some kind of maturity test to gain a kind of "certified mature" rating to allow me to buy these cool games, because I'm not a twit just because I happen to be younger.

Edit: My thread was merged, now I know what "Hot Coffee" Is, I still don't have any intention of utilising it. ;)

[Kamuro]

[quote name='Game Informer Magazine']A European study found a majority of parents are aware of video game ratings, but "divorce themselves" from deciding what their children play, even though the parents don't like what games they buy. Great to know hypocrisy rules the angry mob.[/quote]
[SIZE=1]Just more evidence against the parents and their lack of participation vs. their excess of complaints. A lot of parents would rather say "wow, these games or bad" and complain about them publically then simply make sure their child doesn't play them. Maybe GTA wouldn't need an AO rating if parents were actually present in their childrens lives and told them whether or not the game was appropriate. Instead of publically cracking down ratings, maybe we should publically crack down on parents.[/SIZE]

[Sol-Blade]

Well it would seem Rockstar decided to try and release a new "hot coffee [i]clean[i]" version of the game, in hopes of avoiding their potential losses in profit had they stuck with the AO rating.

[quote="Gamespot.com"]After the public outcry regarding the "Hot Coffee" issue in Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, publisher Take-Two Interactive had two choices: leave the game as it was (and see it pulled from the country's biggest retailers because of its new Adults-Only rating) or rework the game to get it back on the shelves of Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and others as an M-rated game.

The decision was an easy one for the publisher, which expected a new version to be in stores "in the next six to eight weeks," as of July 22.

It appears as though when $50 million is on the line, things get done quickly. A listing on GameStop's online site shows a product page for an Xbox version of San Andreas with a release date of August 22 and price of $49.99. Under GameStop's policy, the retailer does not carry AO-rated games, meaning this version of San Andreas must be a non-AO-rated game.

After the game was rerated, listings for all versions of San Andreas were pulled from the Web site. Currently, there are no listings for a PC or PlayStation 2 version.

One GameStop employee told GameSpot that the retailer is already taking preorders for the Xbox product. "The SKU [GameStop's internal product code] that it's under suggests it's indeed the game, not a strategy guide or anything else. All Xbox game SKUs start with a certain number. It's how we look them up. It's also under the same SKU as it used to be when it was sold, and up until now has been listed as a recalled product." Games at the retailer generally don't get a specific ship date listed with a reservation SKU unless officials are "confident enough in the date to allow us to share the info with customers."

Retailers often attain their information from game publishers, just as media outlets do. However, there has been no official announcement from Rockstar, and attempts to contact the company went unanswered.

If the information on GameStop's site is true, it doesn't mean that San Andreas will once again be readily available. According to The New York Times, several retailers have considered not reshelving the product even if a "clean" version of the game is released.

Rockstar recently released the "No More Hot Coffee" patch for the PC version, a file that blocks any attempts to unlock the sexual content hidden in the game's code.

Before it was the center of controversy, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the Xbox was the top-selling game in the country.

By Tim Surette -- GameSpot[/quote]

Edit: I just wanted to add, does anyone else recall the ESRB re-rating a game based on 3rd-party content? This is my first time I've ever seen them do this. You'd figure they'd do something like this about the so called "nude" patch for the Sims 2 and what not. Heh...

[You Don't Care]

I read the entire thread and this is my conclusion about all subject matter. Here it is.

...

There is profit in blaming something like a video game as the problem for an act of violence. There is profit to sue these companies, which couldn't care less of how pathetic you are for taking the easy way out.

However...

There is no profit to blame alcohol or drugs in general, because these are products that you can't blame any particular company for and it makes us forget our problems when we take this and drink that.

There is no profit to blame religion, because how are you going to get anything material from a church or a belief. And besides, religion is what makes us feel better about our one-sided, thick-skulled delusions that hide us from the reality that we know, deep down, that we can't hide from. But it makes us sleep better at night.

Blame the category that is the most likely to make money and choose the item of that category that is the most likey making the most profit. Because with that money, you can buy your pleasures and support your religion that couldn't possibly do wrong.

...Besides. The greatest profit is taking the easy way out.